Safety spark-arrester.



C. T. CAHILL.

SAFETY SPARK ARREsTfR.

APPLICATION flLED IAN.28,19IB.

Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

uma. wunmcmu. n r.

CHARLES T. CAHILL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SAFETY SPARK-ARRESTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

Application filed January 28, 1918. Serial No. 214,694.v

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES T. CAHILL, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Boston, county of Suolk, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Safety'Spark-Arresters, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My present invention is a safety spark arrester, particularly intended for use with wood burning stoves, heaters of the like, wherein danger from fire exists. My invention is especially useful in connection with tents or the like having a readily inflammable roof, through which the stove pipe from aheater leads, particularly where wood is used as fuel. A single burning spark from such a heater will burn through the canvas covering and of course destroy the same. The danger of sparks setting fire to tents is so well recognized that in the United States Government equipment for heaters to be used with tents, it is necessary to fit each chimney from the heater with a spark arrester. Heretofore these spark arresters consisted simply in a wire cage fitted into the top .of the open end of the smoke pipe and it was necessary to clamber up on top of the tent and fit the same. As such wire cages were made of comparatively fine mesh wirenecessarily of fine mesh in order to catch and arrest sparks from wood-the wire cages lfre,- quently became so clogged as to impede the draft. vTherefore each time this difiiculty occurred, it was necessary to climb up on top of the tent, reinove'the spark arrester, climb down, clean and shake the same and then climb backto replace-it;`vt` The diliculty of clambering up onto the top of a tent is considerable, and was expressly disagreeable in cold or rainy weather. Furthermore, during the time of removal of such prior spark arresters and while being cleaned and before replaced, the danger of fire from sparks was, of course, imminent, and numerous fires have actually occurred during these intervals. My invention obviates the diiiculties above noted by providing an economical, quickly and readily adjusted spark arrester within the length of stove pipe inside the tent or other building, where the stove may be erected. Such spark arrester is preferably a short distance above the stove and within convenient reach. Furthermore, in order to provide a safety factor and enable the removal and cleaning of one spark arrester without leaving the smoke pipe unprotected and also for the purpose of insuring better catching of sparks, I provide a plurality of spark arresting screens or devices. An important feature consists in the arrangement of such plurality of spark arresters so that they may be readily removed, and while removing. one for cleaning the adjacent spark catching-device is in place, and thereupon when the first device which has been removed is cleaned and replaced the neXt adjacent device can be removed, cleaned and replaced, and so on. While I contemplate the use of a plurality of such spark arresting devices I find that it is feasible to use two only, this construction giving the safety factor above mentioned,-of always having one arrester in position while the other is being removed, cleaned, or repaired and replaced, and furthermore two such devices are sufficient to prevent any dangerous sparks getting by.

Referring to the drawings illustrating a preferred form of the invention,

Figure l is al diagrammatic view of the interior of a tent, stove and smokepipe;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of a portion of the smokepipe built in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 3 isa front view;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side view of the encircling sleeve; v

Fig. 5 is a front view of the sleeve;

Fig. 6 isa plan view of the spark arresting device and cross section on the lines 6-6 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged side view partly in cross section; on the line 7 -7 of Fig. 2.

A typical tent is shown at l, such as is usually employed by the U. S. Army, as well as for commercial and recreation uses. A sheet iron heater 2 is shown in position in the center of the tent and the smoke pipe 3 leads from the heater out through the apex of the tent. To one of the sections in the smokepipe 3 I apply a sleeve 4 having a plurality, preferably 2, of slots as indi-AV l notch 13 in leach-oi? the slots.

the sleeve 4 is similarly provided with corresponding slots 11 and 12,-each slot having a central depression or notch 13, 13, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, said depression being adapted to receive the stem 10 of the spark arrester. Opposite the slots y11 and 12 in the pipe 3 are lugs 14, 14, cooperating with the notch 13, and preferably at the same level, to holdv the spark arrester, the rim 15 of said spark arrester resting o'n the lugs r14, 14, and the stem 10 resting in the A light Wire mesh 16 Carriedy by the frame 15 constitutes the spark arresting portion of the device. Theselugs 14 mayconveniently be stamped out ofthe adjacent side of 'theV pipe 3,- the sleeve 4 acting to cover these holes, as also said sleeve covers the slots 11 and 12 when in lowered lor closed position as shown yin Figs. 2 and 3. l Y f In operation a section 'of the vpipe y3 is provided with the semicircumferential slots andl lugs '14 adapted to receive and hold the spark arresters, which can be conveniently slid therein when the sleeve 4 is raised so that thefslot's 5 and 6 lin said sleeve will register 'with the slots 11 fand 12 in the pipe section. ,The spark arresters may then be slid into or out of'position and 'when in iposition the sleeve 4 is dropped and the slots 7 and 8 engage the stems 10 of each spark arrester, hold the vsame locked in position, while also y'holding the sleeve 4 from rotati've position. "When thus lowered the sleeve 4 covers the slots and openings inthe pipe 3 and therefore'thefdraft through the pipe is not impaired. When it is desired to clean either or both of the spark'arresters, as when the same become slightly clogged, the sleeve 4 is simply raised until the slots register and first one spark arrester removed., tapped or hammered slightly in order to clean the same and then replaced before the second lspark arrester zis `removed for similar cleaning. By having a Vplurality of Aspark arresting devices, the smokepipe 3 is thus at all v`times protected from sparksfescaping 'and burning up the 'tent or other washingtonn c.

:any time zand instantly. The advantage of this arrangement will be evident, as the former Vobjectionable necessity of climbing up on top of the tent to remove, clean and to replace the oldstyle spark arrester was so objectionable as to render the same .a seldom performed duty. vThe apparatus V'is economical, eiiicient and can be applied to any existing smokepipe by fitting the same to a pipe section of suitable diameter. While my invention is notparticularly limited to use Ywith a tent stove, and While it may be applied to any sized smok'epipe for many uses, it is especially important for application to a wood burning stove where highly inflammable material, vsuch as the tent, woodyard, or the like, is adjacent the chimney. It will also be appreciated that my invention is not specifically limitedV to the lsmoke pipes for tents,.but is of general application, andtheretore, in the appended claims, I have deined thepi'pe'o'r other lconduit as a tubular member.

My invention is further describedand defined in the form of claims as follows:

1. A tubular member, having radial slots therethrough, and ribs adjacent said slots to receive a 'pluralityof removable disks, a sliding sleeve loutside said tubular .member having means thereinto cover'and close the said slots, the sliding of said sleeve acting to open the slots 'to view and permit "removal of said disks.

2. A tubular member, having :radial slots therethrough, and ribs yadjacent'said slots to receive removable disks, eachdiskhavinga wire mesh and constituting an arresting device, a sliding sleeve outside said tubular member having means therein to cover and close the said slots, the sliding of said sleeve acting to open the slots -to view and permit removal yof said disks. v In testimony whereof I have signed 'my name to thisspecification.l

CHARLES T. y'oA-'I-IILL. 

